Boys swimming notes | New Trier coach Onstott ends stellar tenure

March 01, 2014|By Steve Reaven, Special to the Tribune

This weekend felt different for New Trier coach Mark Onstott for two reasons.

First, the Trevians didn't win the state swimming and diving team title, which was news in its own right. They settled for sixth place Saturday after winning the last three seasons and in seven of the past 10 years.

Second, the meet was Onstott's last as New Trier's head coach, as he's slated to retire after the school year.

"I've been trying not to think about it, just focusing on the job that needs to be done," said Onstott, whose first year as coach was the 1994-95 school year. "Every once in a while I get a little flash that this is the last one."

Onstott's 20 seasons at the helm produced 30 state event titles in addition to the seven team crowns. Twelve of the event wins were from individuals, 16 came in relays and two were in diving. The Trevians' 400 freestyle relay had won six of the previous seven years before Saturday's sixth-place finish.

"It will probably sink in more tomorrow," Onstott said. "I definitely won't be going over heat sheets to see who's coming back."

Free falling: Marian Catholic diver Joey Cifelli is a one-man team, competing without the comfort of even having a pool at his school. The junior splits his training time at UIC and Homewood-Flossmoor and was able to put aside a bout of pre-meet jitters to win Saturday's diving event with a score of 474.05, which was well ahead of runner-up Michael Klemm (438.40) of Rockford Christian Life.

"I was freaking out this morning. I was so nervous, but then I started thinking that I do this literally every day," Cifelli said.

One of the highlights of Cifelli's series Saturday was a three-and-a-half tuck, a dive that he estimated no one else had ever tried at the state meet in Illinois.

"I didn't really take this seriously until my freshman year, and when I made finals that year, I started thinking about reaching my full potential," Cifelli said. "Now, I practice six days a week and I'm totally into it."

Hardly disabled: Niles West's Cameron Lee was the big winner in the four races featuring swimmers with disabilities, as he paced the field in the 100 and 200 freestyle, while finishing second in the 50 free. He didn't compete in the 100 breaststroke.

The sophomore chose to skip competing during the school year as a freshman but is glad he changed his mind this season.

"I really didn't feel like swimming last year; I was kind of iffy about it," said Lee, who is afflicted with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT), a neuromuscular disease that forces Lee to walk essentially on the outsides of his feet. "I felt great in all my races today and I definitely made the right choice this year."

New Trier sophomore Charlie Gentzkow also made his mark in the four-race series by sweeping his class.

Maybe next year: Young junior Mossimo Chavez fell just short of becoming the first Chicago Public League swimmer since 1952 to win a state title, as he finished second in the 50 freestyle (21.03) and third in the 100 free (45.89).

He had the misfortune of swimming in the same races as Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin's Ryan Held, who broke the state record in both events. He'll have his work cut out for him in trying to make history next year, as four of the top five finishers in the 50 free return with three of the top five back in the 100 free.